Drywall Materials Calculator

'This app will use the dimensions of a rectangular room to estimate the number of drywall panels needed to cover the room, as well as the amount of tape, lightweight joint compound, and number of nails needed. It includes both Imperial and Metric measurements.

The tape length needed is computed as the number of panels multiplied by the sum of the panel’s width and length. When Metric is selected, the panel dimensions are in meters, so the tape length is naturally in meters.

For the amount of lightweight joint compound for Imperial, we assume 1 gallon covers 160 square feet per coat. For metric, we assume 1 liter covers 4.4 square meters per coat. Two coats are applied in both cases.

A common estimate is that each 4X8 ft panel requires about 32 nails. For different sizes, the number may vary slightly.